Singapore’s framework of minimum wage and training requirements, segmented by industry sector & occupation
The Progressive Wage Model (“PWM”) is a framework developed by Singapore’s tripartite of unions, employers and the government to uplift lower-wage workers’ wages.
PWM maps clear pathways for workers’ wages rise along with training and improvements in productivity & standards.
The core pillars of PWM are:
(i) Clear pathways for workers to progress in their careers
(ii) Minimum wage requirements for different levels of the career pathways
(iii) Training to improve workers’ skills & productivity – so they have the capability to contribute more to employers’ bottomline, justifying the wage increases.
PWM covers Singapore Citizens & Permanent Residents (“PRs”) in specified industry sectors and occupations (while being encouraged for foreign employees).
To hire foreign workers, Singapore firms MUST comply with:
– Their respective industry’s PWM requirements for their local employees covered by respective PWMs, and
– Local Qualifying Salary (“LQS”) requirements for all other local employees.
From 1 March 2023, firms who hire at least 1 Singaporean or PR worker covered by the PWM / OPW are eligible for a PW Mark. This enables consumers and corporate buyers to easily identify and support PW-Mark accredited firms.
Important: PW Mark accreditation is a new procurement requirement for Government tenders called from 1 March 2023
We compiled* the main requirements of each PWM currently in force from the Singapore Ministry of Manpower’s website. These are listed here in alphabetical order.
Start date: 1 September 2014
(extended to in-house cleaners: 1 Sep 2022)
PWM comes under Cleaning Business License scheme administered by National Environment Agency (“NEA”). Cleaning companies MUST meet PWM to obtain / renew licenses.
Wage Requirements: PWM requirements are mandatory, and cover all Singapore citizens & PRs in outsourced cleaning jobs, or in-house cleaning jobs in firms hiring foreign workers.
Monthly basic wage requirements are based on 3 different groups as follows (for outsourced cleaners), and in-house cleaners, with a PWM bonus of at least 2 weeks of basic monthly wages for eligible outsourced & in-house cleaners in a given year.
Group 1 Cleaners (Outsourced): Office & commercial sites e.g. offices, schools, hospitals, medical clinics, condominiums.
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Group 2 Cleaners (Outsourced): Food & Beverage (F&B) establishments e.g. hawker centres, food courts, restaurants.
Group 3 Cleaners (Outsourced): Conservancy e.g. town councils, public cleansing.
In-House Cleaners
Training Requirements
In-house cleaners: Employers must ensure your cleaners meet in-house PWM training requirement of any 1 Workforce Skills Qualification (“WSQ”) course, OR 1 in-house training programme.
The in-house training programme must be guided by training objectives, training modality, key training tasks and training duration to meet the training requirements. When required, employers are expected to show supporting documentation on their in-house training programme and records of workers who attended the trainings.
On-the-job training can be counted towards the in-house training programme if it fulfils these requirements.
Outsourced cleaners: Cleaning companies must ensure your cleaners meet the PWM’s training requirements by taking 1 Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) module from the list of approved modules and 1 core WSQ module from the list of approved modules.
Start date: 1 March 2023
Wage Requirements: PWM requirements cover Singapore citizens and PRs who are:
Full-time or Part-time food service employees on a contract of service, working in a premise that has a Singapore Food Agency Food Retail or Food Processing (Central Kitchen) license, and employed by firms which hire foreign workers on mainstream work passes (i.e. Work Permit, S Pass, EP), regardless of whether the firm is classified under the Food and Beverage (“F&B”) Service Activities Singapore Standard Industrial Classification (“SSIC”) or not.
PWM covers food service job roles in 2 categories of establishments –
Category A Businesses: Food establishments without wait staff – includes Quick Service (“QS”) F&B establishments e.g. fast-food outlets, food courts etc.
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Category B Businesses: Full Service (“FS”) Food establishments with wait staff, as well as Caterers and Central Kitchens.
Career track 1: “Back-of-house” roles
Career track 2: “Front-of-house” roles
Employers must meet additional requirements for full-time employees who fulfil both of the following conditions:
Employers must pay these employees according to both of the following conditions:
Training Requirements
Employers must ensure that their Singapore citizen and permanent resident food services workers meet the following training requirements:
Employers will be given a grace period to comply with the training requirements:
Start date: 30 June 2016
(extended to in-house landscape maintenance employees: 1 Sep 2022)
PWM is a registration condition for NParks’ Landscape Company Register (“LCR”).
Wage Requirements: PWM requirements are mandatory, and cover all Singaporeans & PRs in outsourced landscape maintenance jobs by landscape companies on LCR, or in-house landscape maintenance employees in firms hiring foreign workers.
A PWM bonus of at least 2 weeks of basic monthly wages will be payable for eligible outsourced & in-house landscape maintenance employees in a given year.
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Training Requirements
In-house: Employers must ensure landscape maintenance workers meet in-house PWM training requirement of any 1 WSQ course, OR 1 in-house training programme.
The in-house training programme must be guided by training objectives, training modality, key training tasks and training duration to meet the training requirements. When required, employers are expected to show supporting documentation on their in-house training programme and records of workers who attended the trainings.
On-the-job training can be counted towards the in-house training programme if it fulfils these requirements.
Outsourced: Landscape companies must ensure PWM landscape maintenance employees meet the training requirements recommended by the Tripartite Cluster for Landscape Industry.
The required number of modules from the approved list:
Start date: 1 May 2019
Since 1 May 2019, the Government procures lift maintenance services only from firms that adopt the Lift PWM. The Government is working towards mandating PWM adoption as a registration requirement for lift & escalator maintenance firms.
Wage Requirements: PWM requirements cover all Singaporeans & PRs employed in lift & escalator maintenance jobs by lift and escalator companies.
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Training Requirements
To improve the lift and escalator service industry through upskilling, the Building and Construction Authority (“BCA”) and Institute of Technical Education (“ITE”) are working closely to develop and launch training and certification courses in alignment with the Technical Skills and Competencies (TSC) framework.
As an employer, you will benefit from your lift and escalator maintenance employees’ increased productivity and ability to provide higher services.
Find out about the available courses in the PWM Skills Ladder of NTUC‘s Brochure
Start date: 1 September 2022
Employers must meet PWM requirements to renew existing work passes or apply for new work passes.
Wage Requirements: PWM covers Singaporeans & PRs who are full-time / part-time employees in retail job roles on a contract of service, and are employed by firms who hire foreign workers (regardless whether firm is classified under Retail Trade SSIC or not).
Given retail sector’s seasonal fluctuations in sales through out the year, PWM wage requirements are averaged over a 3-month period. For each retail employee under PWM, Employers must fulfil either:
– Gross wage paid for month > month’s PWM wage requirements, OR
– Past 3 months’ average gross wage > average of past 3 months’ wage PWM wage requirements.
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Training Requirements
Employers must ensure PWM workers attain AT LEAST 1 WSQ Statement of Attainment from list of approved WSQ training modules.
Alternatively, employers with in-house WSQ training modules with prefix “RET” in the accompanying TSC code may use these training modules to meet the training requirement.
Time-frame: Within 6 months of new hire’s employment start-date, or by 31Aug 2023 for existing workers.
Start date: 1 September 2016
(extended to in-house security officers: 1 Sep 2022)
PWM is a licensing condition for security agencies under the Police Licensing and Regulatory Department (“PLRD”).
Wage Requirements: PWM requirements are mandatory, and cover all Singapore citizens & PRs employed as security officers in licensed security agencies, or in-house employers hiring foreign workers.
Outsourced Security Officers
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In-House Security Offiers
Training Requirements
Security agencies & in-house employers must ensure Singaporean & PR security officers meet PWM training requirements.
Minimum Time-in-Grade + Training requirements for career progression & promotion
Security agencies and in-house employers must ensure that their Singapore citizen and permanent resident security officers meet the PWM training requirements.
Start date: 1 July 2023
All public waste collectors, general waste collectors and general waste disposal facility licensees must meet the PWM requirements as part of NEA‘s licensing framework.
Wage Requirements: PWM requirements are mandatory and cover all Singapore citizens & PRs employed as waste management workers in the waste collection and materials recovery sub-sectors, who work in licensed general waste collectors, public waste collectors, or general waste disposal facilities.
With effect from Jan 2024, a PWM bonus of at least 1 month of basic monthly wages will be payable to eligible waste management workers in the waste collection and materials recovery sub-sectors in licensed general waste collectors, public waste collectors, or general waste disposal facilities every year.
The Tripartite Cluster for Waste Management (“TCWM”) will review the wage schedule in 2025.
PWM covers waste management job roles in 2 sub-sectors –
Waste Collection Sub-Sector
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Materials Recovery Subsector
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Training Requirements
Employers must ensure PWM workers in Crew and Sorter roles attain AT LEAST 2 WSQ Statements of Attainment (“SOA”) from list of approved WSQ training modules.
For higher job levels, additional WSQ SOAs from the approved WSQ training modules list are required, depending on the job level.
Start date: 1 March 2023
Employers must meet Occupational Progressive Wage (“OPW”) requirements to renew existing work passes or apply for new work passes.
Wage Requirements: OPW requirements cover all Singapore citizens & PRs who are full-time or part-time employees in administrative roles on a contract of service, and employed by firms which hire foreign workers.
Wage requirements for part-time workers are pro-rated on a 44-hour basis.
OPW wage requirements for 30 Jun 2026 & later will be reviewed by the National Wages Council in 2025.
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Training Requirements
Employers must ensure Singaporean & PR Administrator employees meet OPW training requirements of attaining:
– At least 1 WSQ Statement of Attainment (no restriction on which WSQ course), OR
– An in-house training programme
In-house training programme must be guided by training objectives, training modality, key training tasks & training duration to meet training requirements. When required, employers are expected to show supporting documentation on in-house training programme & records of workers who attended the trainings.
Time-frame: Within 6 months of new hire’s employment start date, or by 29 Feb 2024 for existing workers.
Start date: 1 March 2023
Employers must meet OPW requirements to renew existing work passes or apply for new work passes.
Wage Requirements: OPW requirements cover all Singapore citizens & PRs who are full-time or part-time employees in administrative roles on a contract of service, and employed by firms which hire foreign workers.
Wage requirements for part-time workers are pro-rated on a 44-hour basis.
OPW wage requirements for 30 Jun 2026 & later will be reviewed by the National Wages Council in 2025.
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Training Requirements
Employers must ensure Singaporean & PR Driver employees meet OPW training requirements of attaining:
– At least 1 WSQ SOA (no restriction on which WSQ course), OR
– An in-house training programme
In-house training programme must be guided by training objectives, training modality, key training tasks & training duration to meet training requirements. When required, employers are expected to show supporting documentation on in-house training programme & records of workers who attended the trainings.
Time-frame: Within 6 months of new hire’s employment start date, or by 29 Feb 2024 for existing workers.
The Singapore Government is providing assistance for employers:
1. Progressive Wage Credit Scheme: From 2022 to 2026, the Government will co-fund eligible wage increases given to lower-wage workers. To reduce administrative burden for employers, any co-funding payouts are automatically disbursed. See IRAS’ PWCS page for details.
2. Workfare Skills Support Scheme: Employers’ training costs for eligible workers are significantly offset. Check out the WSS Scheme website for details.
Training is a mandatory requirement under the PWM
Depending on your sector, you can get your workers trained at various Approved Training Organisations (“ATOs”).
More details can be obtained from SkillsFuture.
For OPWs and some sector PWMs, an in-house training programe (including On-the Job Training (“OJT”)) can count towards meeting the PWM training requirements. To meet the training objectives, the in-house training programme will have to be guided by Training Objectives, Training Modaility, Key Training Tasks & Training Duration.
MOM expects employers to show supporting documentation on their in-house training programme & records of workers who attended the trainings – where required.
ArcLab’s platform is simple & effective for your organisation to put in place an in-house training programme.
1. An entire training programme can be developed online & is suitable for the office setting – training consumed via desktops / laptops, as well as for workers who do not work in an office environment – deskless workers can consume training via their mobile phones.
2. ArcLab’s Learner Analytics Dashboard keeps detailed records of every single workers’ training, including time spent on individual modules and as a whole, scores for Knowledge Assessment quizzes etc. These can be easily exported and presented as required for inspection.
Here’s an example of a Training Module for Motorcycle Drivers.
ArcLab Discover, our free library has several training templates for you to consider as you put your In-House Training Programme together:
1. Safe Riding Training – suitable for General Driver roles (motorcycle delivery drivers) in Logistics firms etc.
2. Safe Manual Handling Training – for General Driver & Specialist Driver roles in Construction, Logistics firms etc.
3. Customer Service Training (Serving Difficult Customers) – suitable for Administrative Executive roles (e.g. receptionist, customer service clerk, telephone operator etc.) working in any industry.
If you found this way of learning engaging & effective, start building a training programme for your workforce now
* Current as at 30 Oct 2025. While care has been taken to ensure accuracy, please always verify with up-to-date information from Ministry of Manpower’s official PWM website.
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